S'more, Please!

S'mores

I have been CRAVING s'mores lately. These cravings have been so intense that I almost resorted to cooking them over the grill. I'm sure this would have been fine, but it's not the same. Making s'mores is about so much more than just graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow. It's about sitting around a bonfire with special people, searching for the perfect s'more stick, getting sticky and gooey marshmallow all over your hands and face, perfecting your roasting technique. It's about enjoying everything summer has to offer.

I was going to write this post all about how s'mores are simple and perfect and should not be tampered with. However, I'm actually a bit of a stickler when it comes to my ingredients. I'm convinced that you must use Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. The off-brands never seem to puff up quite right over the fire. With graham crackers, I'm a little more lenient. You can get by with an off-brand in a pinch, but I will stand by Honey-Maid until my budget doesn't allow it. As for chocolate, you could probably use any kind of chocolate. But I've never seen a 6-pack of chocolate bars made by anybody but Hershey's.

Going back to my proposal that s'mores are simple and perfect, though: they are. A friend of mine suggested spreading peanut butter on the graham, which was good, but I still prefer the simplicity of the classic s'more.

As for technique... Well, everyone has their own s'more technique. Mine has been perfected over 23 years (minus the years when I wasn't allowed to play near fire). And this past weekend, I finally discovered the perfect ratio. 1 graham cracker sheet (split in half to create the top and the bottom), 3 pieces of chocolate (broken into smaller pieces for maximum meltability), and 2 marshmallows (roasted quickly, browning the outside, and left to hover over the flames, slowly warming the mallow throughout). Yes, it is truly a divine combination.

Whew! Who knew I had so much to say about s'mores!